The present inventive relates to a connector assembly for fluid conveying conduits and, more particularly, to a connection assembly between the male conduit and female housing elements of the connector assembly.
In the automotive industry, as well as for many other industries, the need always exists for low cost, reliable, and easy to assemble components. This need is especially apparent with respect to providing a connection between fluid conveying conduits, such as fuel or refrigerant lines. Older threaded connectors typically require substantial assembly time for screwing on a cap to a fitting and tightening the cap down to the proper torque needed to provide a fluid tight seal. Further, an inventory would have to be maintained to keep track of the number of caps and fittings and any liners for other components that may be necessary. Also, re-tightening of the caps may be required to maintain the seal after the automobile or other system has been put into use.
Recently therefore there has been a move towards utilizing connector assemblies and particularly quick connector assemblies wherein a threaded connection is no longer needed to connect the male conduit and female housing elements. Quick connector assemblies typically include a female housing, a male conduit and some type of retainer for securing the male conduit within the female housing. One problem with many of the known quick connector assemblies is the failure to provide a check mechanism to insure that the male conduit is securely connected to the female housing. Further, for those connector assemblies including some type of check mechanism the mechanism is for verifying that the full connection between the male conduit and female housing has been accomplished often, at least partially, disposed within the female housing which precludes a clear visual inspection of the quick connector assembly to confirm that complete coupling between the male conduit and the female housing has occurred.
The trend therefore has recently been to develop coupling verification assemblies which include exposed means for verifying that a complete connection between the tubular conduit and housing has been accomplished. One problem with such assemblies is that the coupling verification means typically include a boot, latch, collar, pin or other such structure which must be physically manipulated by the operator to insure that complete connection between the male conduit and female housing has been accomplished. This adds unnecessarily to assembly time thus limiting productively.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved connector assembly for providing a quick connection between fluid conveying conduits wherein the latching mechanism serves to verify that a proper connection has been made between the male tubular conduit and the female housing. Further, the connector assembly and latching retainer of the present invention provide both visual and mechanical means for verifying that a complete connection has been made without requiring an operator to manipulate any portion of the assembly once the conduit and housing have been joined.
Yet another object is to provide a secondary coupling between the tubular conduit and the housing.
Still another objection of the present invention is to provide an easily connectable assembly, which is inexpensive to manufacture, durable and may be employed to join dissimilar electrically conductive materials that would otherwise be subject to galvanic corrosion.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention provides a connector assembly which generally comprises a male tubular conduit, a female housing, sealing means, latching means and under at least one embodiment retainer means. The tubular conduit is adapted to convey fluid and is formed with a first annular projection disposed a predetermined distance from the end of the conduit to be connected and a second annular projection spaced apart from the first annular projection also disposed a predetermined distance from the end to be connected. The housing is formed with an axial bore for receiving the conduit at a first end and for providing a fluid path at a second end. The housing includes an enlarged diameter portion and a coupling portion extending from a first end of the enlarged diameter portion. Sealing means are disposed within the axial bore of the housing for providing a fluid tight seal between confronting portions of the conduit and housing. Under at least one embodiment retainer means are provided and are adapted to be disposed generally over the first end of the tubular conduit. The retainer means which are disposed within the axial bore of the housing upon insertion of the tubular conduit include at least one deformable leg having a blocking portion which seats against the first annular projection of the tubular conduit. The latching means include a plurality of extending hooks, preferably two in number, having incurved end portions. Depending upon the embodiment, the latching means extend from the housing, extend from the retainer means or is a separate element. Regardless of the embodiment, the incurved ends of the extending hooks engage the second annular projection of the tubular conduit to provide a secondary latching means.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the detailed description of the preferred embodiments which makes reference to the following set of drawings in which;